After reading Classics and Classical Archaeology at university , I spent most of my professional life teaching the history of art and design. Meantime I learned some of the basic skills of drawing, painting,sculpture and printmaking as a part-time student , first at Bournville School of Art in Birmingham and later at Kensington and Chelsea College. When I finally retired from teaching I enrolled on the BA Fine Art Degree course at Banbury and graduated from there in 2006.
I have loved printmaking since learning the basics of etching in a lean-to shed at Bournville in the 1970s and, like most printmakers, never cease to get a kick from the act of peeling back the paper from under the press to see what has happened. Acquiring the technical skills necessary for the different methods of printing is a constant source of satisfaction too - the process of making the plates is every bit as enjoyable as the printing process itself.
For some years I concentrated on collagraph prints since the materials are easy to come by and the whole process can be carried out at home without the need for expensive equipment or hazardous chemicals. I still find this an exciting way to work and one that encourages experimentation, finding new ways of creating textures and inking the plates. Latterly, with access to the print studio at Oxford Printmakers, I have gone back to etching and started to investigate the possibilities of combining etching with collage.
Subject matter is drawn from a variety of sources, but given my background in archaeology and art history I am drawn to the world of the museum, to sculpture and to architecture- living near Oxford means that I have a treasure house of such resources at my door.
I have taken part in many local exhibitions including Oxfordshire Artweeks. I am a member and trustee of West Ox Arts (www.westoxarts.com) and a member of the Oxford Printmakers Co-operative .
I have loved printmaking since learning the basics of etching in a lean-to shed at Bournville in the 1970s and, like most printmakers, never cease to get a kick from the act of peeling back the paper from under the press to see what has happened. Acquiring the technical skills necessary for the different methods of printing is a constant source of satisfaction too - the process of making the plates is every bit as enjoyable as the printing process itself.
For some years I concentrated on collagraph prints since the materials are easy to come by and the whole process can be carried out at home without the need for expensive equipment or hazardous chemicals. I still find this an exciting way to work and one that encourages experimentation, finding new ways of creating textures and inking the plates. Latterly, with access to the print studio at Oxford Printmakers, I have gone back to etching and started to investigate the possibilities of combining etching with collage.
Subject matter is drawn from a variety of sources, but given my background in archaeology and art history I am drawn to the world of the museum, to sculpture and to architecture- living near Oxford means that I have a treasure house of such resources at my door.
I have taken part in many local exhibitions including Oxfordshire Artweeks. I am a member and trustee of West Ox Arts (www.westoxarts.com) and a member of the Oxford Printmakers Co-operative .